Several
people have been injured after being attacked by a squirrel at a
retirement community in Deltona.The
incident happened Thursday at Sterling Court Gracious Retirement Living.A
911 caller told dispatchers that the squirrel had gotten into the
building and was in the activity room, where it was jumping on
people, biting them and scratching them.The
caller said at least three people were bitten.During
the more than three-minute 911 call, the animal was eventually
tossed outside. An ambulance arrived to treat those who were injured.WESH-TV
reports that those hurt were "doing well" as of Thursday night.It's
unclear if the squirrel was captured.

DeLand
women beat man, snatch baby from his arms

Two
DeLand women are accused of beating a man and then snatching his
7-month-old child from his arms and fleeing.Local
news outlets report that police say 18-year-old Tykiera
Thomas-Session and 18-year-old Drucilla Gordon were arrested Tuesday
and charged with kidnapping and terrorizing and inflicting bodily
harm on a victim.An
arrest report says 26-year-old Adam Mumm told police he was walking
with baby when a van approached him and two women jumped out. Mumm
says the pair began punching him before one of them snatched the
baby. The women then drove off.Police
say Gordon wasn't a stranger to Mumm and is the child's aunt.The
baby's mother, who found the child at Gordon's house, says she
didn't give Gordon permission to take the child from Mumm.

Body
in van outside Wal-Mart may have been there a month

Police
are investigating after a woman's body was found in a Wal-Mart
parking lot inside a van that may have sat there unnoticed for
several weeks.Local
news organizations report that authorities say the body was
discovered by a worker Wednesday afternoon in a Dodge Grand Caravan
at the West Melbourne store.Police
say the van was parked near the store's garden center and had a
weathered, temporary tag, possibly from Wisconsin.West
Melbourne police spokesman Capt. Richard Cordeau says surveillance
video shows a vehicle pull in over a month ago in the same general area.The
woman's identity has not been released. The medical examiner's
office will determine if foul play or some other issue played a role
in her death.

Arrest
made in hit-and-run that killed woman, injured deputy

Authorities
say they've arrested the driver who fatally struck a 33-year-old
Tampa woman and seriously injured a sheriff's deputy.On
Thursday, Polk County sheriff's deputies charged 71-year-old Charlie
Lewis with leaving the scene of a traffic crash causing death and
leaving the scene of a crash causing serious injury.Sheriff
Grady Judd says an anonymous tip lead them to the suspect's vehicle.Authorities
said Jessica Enchautegui-Otero's car ran off the road and she was
standing in a grass median early Saturday when Deputy Adam Pennell
stopped to help.A
few minutes later a vehicle hit them. Enchautegui-Otero died and
Pennell suffered a shattered pelvis, broken hip and other broken bones.Judd
says Lewis admitted to drinking that night and recalled hitting
something, but didn't know what.

Millions
being spent on ads in Florida legislative races

There
may be a torrent of presidential ads flooding the airwaves in
Florida, but millions are also being spent on state races.Newly
analyzed data shows that nearly $14.3 million has been spent this
year to air more than 24,000 commercials targeting races for the
Florida Senate. The total amount spent on broadcast television ads
for Florida House races was slightly less than $1 million.The
biggest spender has been a Republican political committee that is
helping GOP state senate candidates.The
Center for Public Integrity analyzed data about political
advertising on broadcast television from Kantar Media/CMAG, a media
tracking firm that monitors media markets around the country.These
figures cover ads aired this year and do not include ads for radio,
online, direct mail or local cable TV ads.

An
HIV-infected man who bit a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy last
year has been sentenced to 364 days in jail.

27-year-old
Jeffrey M. Switzer pleaded guilty last week to charges of battery on
a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence.An
arrest report said Switzer was intoxicated and became violent when
deputies ordered him to leave Wellington's Coach House Banquet Hall
in February 2015.Deputies
used a stun gun but weren't able to bring Switzer under control. He
became engaged in a "violent struggle" with them, spitting
at the deputies before biting Deputy Daniel Delia, who required five
stitches to close the wound on his right forearm.Delia
says Switzer "spit out" a large chunk of skin during the attack.

Kids
hurt after jumping out of fleeing vehicle

A
driver is accused of ordering two children to jump out of her
speeding vehicle as she fled an Indian River County sheriff's deputy.The
12-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy were injured Monday night after
falling out of the truck driven by 38-year-old Afina McCunn.The
deputy says he was conducting a traffic stop on McCunn when she sped
away. An arrest affidavit shows the children fell out of the
vehicle's passenger door when McCunn made a sharp turn.The
girl told the deputy that McCunn, who was her mother, told them
"jump out and run."McCunn
was later arrested on child abuse, fleeing or eluding law
enforcement, and driving with a suspended license charges. It's
unclear if she has an attorney.

Toddler,
2, dies after found in "murky water" behind home

Deputies
say a 2-year-old boy found in shallow water in Lake County has died.Local
news outlets report that the Lake County Sheriff's Office says the
toddler was discovered Wednesday evening in "murky water"
behind a home in Groveland.A
family friend performed CPR and the child was taken to a hospital,
where he was pronounced dead.Deputies
say they believe the boy drowned.The
investigation is ongoing.

Firefighter
injured in fall from building during training

A
Florida firefighter is recovering from injuries suffered when he
fell out of a building during a training exercise.Largo
Fire Rescue officials tell local news outlets that he was rappelling
from a second-story window Wednesday when his equipment failed. He
fell about 14 feet and landed on his back.Officials
say he suffered a spinal fracture and will need three to six months
to recover.Chief
Shelby Willis says the firefighter, whose name hasn't been released,
was using equipment the city had recently purchased. The equipment
includes a harness attached to a belay line that's staffed by another
firefighter and a device that stops a fall if the belay line fails.
He says both the line and the device failed.The
state fire marshal's office is investigating.

University
official sought bribes to admit students

A
former Florida A&M University official is being charged with
bribery after he allegedly asked parents to give him money to help
their children get admitted to the college.State
law-enforcement agents on Tuesday arrested Leman Junior Ulee. The
46-year-old man was charged with two counts of bribery and one count
of official misconduct.The
Florida Department of Law Enforcement says Ulee was placed on
administrative leave in April and fired by FAMU in August. The agency
says FAMU asked state authorities to investigate.Court
records allege Ulee contacted the mothers of two students who
unsuccessfully applied to FAMU and offered to admit them in exchange
for a cash payment.Ulee
posted bond and has been released from jail. Court records do not
show if he has hired an attorney.